Paper machine wire and method of making same



July 25, 1933. Q JQHNSON 1,919,843

PAPER MACHINE WIRE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed June 8, 1951 INVENTOR FIG. 3 BY ATTOBNE Y Patented July 25, 1933 UNirso sta GHARLESJOI-INSON, 0F IIIONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA PAPER MACHINE Y VIBE AND METHGD OF MAKING SAME Application fiiea June a, 193;. Serial No. 542,995.

This invention relates to the manufacture of paper making wireused on Fourdrinier paper makinganachines. The manner of weaving these wires is such that relatively sharp projectingknuckles are formed at the inner and outer surfaces. The knuckles at the inner surface take the wear incident to the passage of the wire over the suction boxes and the various wire carrying rolls 9 and the presence of these knuckles, in their original form contributes materiallyto the Wear resisting quality of the Wire. On the other hand the presence of the sharply projecting knuckles at theouter or paper mak- & ing surface of the wire causes pronounced Wire marking and mottling effects which are detrimental to the quality and appearance of the paper sheet. In an effort to overcome this difficulty, it has been proposed to flatten the knuckles or projections by passing the wire between suitable rolls, but this method has several serious disadvantages. When the wire is passed between rolls, the knuckles at both surfaces of the wire are flattened and the flattening of the knuckles at the inner side is a distinct disadvantage since it impairs the wear resisting quality of the wire by decreasing the thickness of the wire strands in contact with the suction boxes, rolls and other parts of the machine frame over which the wire passes when in use. 'A further objection is that the pressure applied by the rolls tends to harden or otherwise change the structure of the wire strands in such a way that the flexibility and resistance to breakage is materially reduced. A still further objection is that the flattenin g of the wire by the pressure of the rolls causes the metal of the wire strands to be distorted so that the drainage capacity of the w1re is adversely affected by a resulting decrease in the area of the drainage openings afforded between the strands.

The present invention provides a method whereby the outer or paper making surface of the wire is made smooth and even without impairing the wear resistance flexibility or drainage. This is accomplished by subjecting the knucklesor projections at the 9 paper making surface of the wire to the flat tening action of an'abrading or cutting de vice against which the wire'is moved. The abrading or cutting device'is mounted to bear evenly against the outer surface of the wire during movement of" the Wire around a supporting roller positioned in close proximity to said device.

The method forming the subject matter of this invention is capable of being carried out by various forms of apparatus and, consequentlyyit is to be understood that" the invention is not in any way limited to the use of the particular apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a side View.

Figure 3 is anend View. v

Referring more particularly to'the-drawing, 1 designates a papermaking wire arranged to travel over a roller 2 with the 9 I outer paper making surface of the wire in contact with the abrasive surfaceof a power driven roll 3. The roll 3 is equipped with a shaft 4: journalled in the upper ends of a pair of swinging arms 5. The lower end .5 of each arm 5 is mounted to swing about a pivot 6 carried by a bracket 7 arranged on the base 8. Each arm 5 is also provided at its lower end with an integral extension 9 on which'is mounted an adjustable weight 10. By adjusting the weights 10, the pressure of the roll 3 on the wire "1-.may be regulated as desired. I

1. A motor 11 is mounted on the base 8 and the abrasive roll 3 is driven from this motor through the medium of the belt 12 and the v pulleys 13 and 14. 1 As indicated by the applied arrows in Figure 3, the abrasive roll 3 is preferably rotated in a direction opposite to the travel of the wire 1.

During travel of the paper making-wire around the roller 2 the knuckles and other projections at the. outer paper making surface of the wire are flattened byfcontact with the oppositely moving abrasive sur- 9 face of the roll 3 so that a smooth and even papermaking surface is thereby provided without altering the contour of they inner surface of the wire or hardening" and distorting the strands of the wire in any manner that would tend to seriously impair the strength, wear resistance or drainage capacity of the wire. It is, therefore, manifest that this invention provides a simple and convenient method whereby a smooth and even paper making surface is formed at the outer side of the wire without sacrificing the wearing or other qualities of the wire.

The roll 3 may be formed wholly of corundum, emery or other abrasivesmaterials or it'may be made of non-abrasive materials and provided with a renewable abrading surface in the form of a sheet of abrasive material extending around the circumference of the roll and secured in place in any suitable manner. 7

It is also within the scope of this invention to provide the roll 3 with a cutting or smoothing surface of any desired type that will have the same effect on the upper surface of the wire.

Inconstruing the appended claims, it is to be understood that the word normal as applied to the inner surface of the wire is used in the sense of indicating the normal contour resulting from weaving of the Wire in accordance with prevailing methods whereby projecting knuckles are formed at the intersections of the warp and woof strands.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. That improvement in the manufacture of paper making wires which consists in removing material from the outer side of the wire to form an even, flat paper making surface.

2. That improvement in the manufacture of paper making wires which consists in causing relative movement between the outer surface of the wire and a contacting material removing device to form an even, fiat paper making surface at the said outer side of the wire.

3. Thatimprovement in the manufacture of paper making wires which consists in causing relative movement between the outor surface of the wire and a contacting abrasive material whereby the outer side of the wire is flattened and rendered smooth and even.

4. A paper making wire characterized by the fact that the outer surface of the wire is ground to provide an even, flat paper making surface.

CHARLES JOHNSON. 

